News: Suppliers
24 September 2024
Axus delivers lowest cost of ownership for CMP processes on 200mm SiC wafers
Axus Technology of Chandler, AZ, USA – a provider of chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP), wafer thinning and surface-processing solutions – has announced that its flagship Capstone CS200 platform tools offer what is claimed to be the industry’s lowest cost of ownership (CoO) for CMP processes on 200mm silicon carbide (SiC) wafers. Compared to its closest competitor, Axus’s small-footprint Capstone delivers twice the throughput at less than half the total cost per wafer.
The overall SiC manufacturing tool market will top $4.4bn by 2029, forecasts Yole Group. “The unique properties of SiC require specialized manufacturing tools and lines for processing power SiC devices,” the market analyst firm noted earlier this year. Axus says that it anticipated this need, designing the Capstone from the ground up to deliver advanced processing capabilities for SiC in power electronics and other applications.
“Many 200mm fabs are looking to upgrade their installed base of CMP tools to products with leading-edge capability and functionality. Our ability to deliver industry-low CoO further underscores our strong market position and capacity to support this shift,” says CEO Dan Trojan. “Capstone features a streamlined workflow and integrated cleaning capability, so it requires half the process steps of older CMP tools. This allows customers to greatly lower their CapEx investment,” he adds.
Key CoO advantages of Capstone versus competitors are claimed to include:
- 2.5x wafers per hour throughput;
- 60% lower power consumption;
- 80% lower DI water consumption;
- 45% smaller footprint;
- 65% lower CapEx cost per wafer;
- 50% lower total cost per wafer.
Another factor contributing to Capstone’s lower CoO is said to be its built-in process temperature control (PTC) technology, which enables processing at higher pressures and speeds without exceeding temperature limits of polishing pads and other sensitive components. This feature is vital for SiC and other materials with high hardness and planarization challenges that necessitate more aggressive process conditions.
Axus says that it built its proprietary CoO model using its own system specifications, publicly available specs for competitive tools, actual consumables costs, and real-world performance data supplied by customers. The comprehensive model factors in all CoO contributors: process variables (polish time and removal rates), polishing and cleaning consumables, power and deionized (DI) water usage, system footprint, and equipment CapEx including cost, utilization and wafer capacity.
Company executives are on hand to discuss further details regarding Axus Technology’s performance and CoO benefits in Meeting Room 204 at the International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ICSCRM 2024) in the Raleigh Convention Center (29 September–4 October).
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